The Morning Bell

When it Comes to Climate Action, Every Drop Counts!

On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, schools around the city will participate in our fourth and final Climate Action Day of the year! This month, the theme is water. Check out learning resources for this month's Climate Action Day, plus learn how you can make your own water filter with materials you have at home!

Find out how you can take Climate Action this month

Three students at the beach stand in front of the water on the sand. The first student (left) is holding a clipboard and pencil, while the second student (center) places litter into a trash bag held by the third student (right), using a trash picker.

Opportunities for Students (May 2025)

The final full month of the 2024–25 school year is here—time to lock in your late spring and summer plans! Check out all the learning and earning opportunities available for NYC public school students this month and beyond, including scholarships, free access to cultural institutions, and paid internships, and register/apply for them today!

Line up your spring, summer, and fall opportunities TODAY

Two teenaged girls sitting on a set of court stairs.

The Month Ahead (May 2025)

With the last full month of the 2024–25 school year upon us, take a look at what's happening in NYC Public Schools in May 2025! Highlights include our month-long heritage celebrations for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Jewish Americans, as well as Teacher Appreciation Week, parent-teacher conferences, State exams, and Memorial Day.

See what else is happening in May 2025

A middle school-aged boy and girl sitting on the floor of a library with books open in their hands.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Highlight: Eugenie Clarke

May is AAPI Heritage Month! In celebration, we’re highlighting our profile of Eugenie Clarke, a fish scientist from New York City who earned herself the nickname, "Shark Lady," thanks to her trailblazing research on fish and shark species around the world as well as her personal dedication to protecting sharks and their ocean habitats from extinction.

Learn more about Eugenie Clark on Hidden Voices

Image of Eugenie Clark smiling while sitting on the edge of a pier.

Jewish American Heritage Month Highlight: Judith Heumann

In celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month in May, we’re highlighting our profile of Judith Heumann, a daughter of Holocaust survivors whose advocacy would earn her the nickname “the Mother of the Disability Rights Movement” for her important role in the fight for equal access for people with disabilities.

Learn more about Judith Heumann on Hidden Voices

Photo of Judy Heumann in front of a sign reading 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'

What We're Reading

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! These books for all ages tell both real-life and fictionalized stories of coping with mental health struggles that fuel connection, understanding, and strength. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)

Alphabreaths, by Christopher Willard and Daniel Rechtschaffen; illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown
Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, by Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett; illustrated by Marissa Valdez
The Noise Inside Boys, by Pete Oswald
The Princess and the Fog, by Anthony Lloyd Jones
When a Friend Needs a Friend, by Roozeboos

Elementary (Grades 3–5)

All the Feelings Under the Sun, by Leslie Davenport; illustrated by Jessica Smith
Five Things About Ava Andrews, by Margaret Dilloway
The Grip, by Marcus Stroman
A Mind Like Mine, by Rachael Davis; illustrated by Islenia Mil
Moonflower, by Kacen Callender

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

Good Enough, by Jen Petro-Roy
How to Become a Planet, by Nicole Melleby
Iveliz Explains it All, by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Mid-Air, by Alicia D. Williams
The Summer of June, by Jamie Sumner

Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)

10 Things I Can See from Here, by Carrie Mac
(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation on Mental Health, edited by Kelly Jensen
The Edge of Anything, by Nora Shalaway Carpenter
Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green
We Are All So Good at Smiling, by Amber McBride

You can find these books and many more great reads on Sora, our Citywide Digital Library, which provides free access to thousands of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students. You can also find even more great recommendations in the Mental Health Awareness Collection on Sora!

Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS

Since 2018, the New York City Public School Film Festival has highlighted student filmmakers' creative and diverse works. Check out how this year’s event, now in its seventh year, celebrated the 2024–25 honorees.

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Dates to Remember

All Month Long: Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month
All Month Long: Jewish American Heritage Month
May 1: Parent-Teacher Conferences (Elementary Schools and Pre-K Centers)
May 5–9: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6–16: NYS Math Assessments for students in grades 3–8
May 8: Parent-Teacher Conferences (Middle Schools and D75 programs)
May 9: G&T Upper Grade application closes
May 11: Mother's Day
May 12–May 23: NYS English as a Second Language Assessment Tests administered
May 13: 2025 Pre-K Application offers released
May 13: Last day to vote online for the 2025 CCEC Elections
May 13: NYS State Science Assessments for students in grades 5 and 8
May 15: Parent-Teacher Conferences (High Schools, buildings with K–12 and 6–12)
May 20: 2025 3-K Application offers released
May 21: Climate Action Day #4: Water
May 26: Memorial Day (observed); all NYC public schools and NYCPS offices closed

Banner graphic with navy blue and bright orange illustrations that reads 'Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.'

Beige background with a blue rectangle with the words 'Jewish American Heritage Month' surrounded by illustrations of leaves and the Star of David.

Ready to Read: Literacy Resources for Families

NYC Reads is reshaping the way that we teach our students to read, but the learning doesn't have to stop at the classroom door! Whether it's a family book club or a phonics-based 20 questions game, you can bring the "science of reading" home by using any of our helpful resources that will help your children continue to develop their literacy skills, like:

Reading Games
Phonics, Vocabulary, and Storytelling Practice
And more!

A MySchools.nyc Tutorial: Learn the Basics

Throughout any stage of New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) application processes for 3-K, Pre-K, Kindergarten, middle school, high school, and Gifted and Talented (G&T) for grades 1, 2, 3, and 4, you can use MySchools.nyc—learn how to today!